Surviving is the key
by Wulvenbeast
Summary: Daichi is a huge gamer, so getting Sword Art Online was an obvious result. Too bad the game is a death trap run by a psychopath. Now with 10,000 players trapped within the world of Aincrad, he is forced to adapt to the dangers of this once-beautiful world, and return to his family. They're having pizza for dinner after all.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online. However, as a fanfiction author I own the right to fuck up the canon as I see fit.**

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_"That is the line waiting for the revolutionary new game, Sword Art Online! This game utilizes Nervegear technology, making the the first ever vrmmorpg in the world! Thousands have alre-."_

_Click!_

The television screen went pitch black as I pressed the off button. The new game Sword Art Online had been number 1 on every gamer's waiting list ever since it was announced, and who could blame them? An awesome looking game that was the first ever virtual reality game too? You couldn't be considered a gamer if you didn't want it.

Hi, I'm Daichi Nakamoto, martial artist and avid gamer.

I've been waiting for this game just as eagerly as everybody else, but I have a secret. Despite my love of video games in all their wonderful forms, there is no way in hell that I will ever spend an entire day of my outside a store just to get a copy. Now this sounds kinda hypocritical, seeing as how it seems that goes against what I said about being a true game, but like I said. I have a secret.

I'm actually a beta-tester for the game!

See, only 1000 people got to play the game early, you know, test it out before the release to see the quality of the game, check for bugs, and really just get a sneak peak. And let me tell you, it's amazing. And because I'm a beta-tester, I got it early!

But enough about that. Today was the release date! I checked my watch as I ran upstairs, unable to hide my eagerness. My aunt was out running some errands and wouldn't be back for a few more hours, so I didn't have to worry about her bothering me.

I checked my watch again as I entered my room and shut the door behind me. There it was on my bed. The nervegear. I plugged in the cable and brushed some hair away from my eyes before slipping the helmet over my head. I was almost vibrating with excitement as I activated the machine.

"Link start!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I blinked tears out of my eyes as the entire world turned completely white. I'd never gotten used to how bright this part was, seeing as how it was like staring into the sun, nut I couldn't have cared less at the moment.

Time for one of the best features of video games. Character creation! The menu appeared before me and I began creating my avatar.

I went with a guy, duh. I made him tall, but not freakishly large, just 6'4. I gave him long flowing hair, no the kind that would make him look like one of those pretty boy pricks, but more like this character I'd seen in an old anime called Fullmetal Alchemist. He had a normal skin tone, and two purple eyes, because they were cool. I also decided to make his hair blue. I know it's not very realistic at all, but who actually creates a character to look the same as them? If I wanted to be myself, I'd stay in the real world.

I hit enter to confirm my character, but I was stopped when the game reminded me that I hadn't chose a name for him. I pondered for a while. What was a badass name I could give him without going over the top?

The answer hit me like thunder. Several years ago there had been this game called Metal Gear Revengeance that he played all the time. I'd tried it out a few times, and it was plenty of fun, if a little repetitive. I remembered the main character's code name being awesome. I typed in the name carefully, the buttons making small beeping noises every time. A name that meant lightning.

Raiden.

I hit enter, and everything went white again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I materialized in a small town at the bottom of Aincrad You see, the game takes place inside this floating castle in the sky called Aincrad. There are 100 floors that were each their own world, containing towns, wilderness, and all kinds of enemies and dungeons. To beat a floor, players have to fight their ways through the floor's dungeon ad defeat the boss. Eventually this would lead you to the final boss on floor 100, but that was a long way to go.

Looking around, I saw players everywhere talking with each other, trying to form parties, meeting with their friends, and teleporting in for the first time. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. The game developers really did an amazing job with this. It's as if I'm in an entirely new world! Well, I am, but you get the point.

I was on a mission however, and ignored everyone else as I ran through the cobblestone streets. I managed to find an exit and found my entire view change.

"Damn. I don't think I'll ever get used to this." I muttered. I was in the middle of a grassy plain with the wind giving a cool breeze as I stared at the massive tower miles away. There were trees everywhere a few miles down, all leading towards the gigantic tower that was the passageway to the next floor.

It was actually the floor's dungeon, and once I was past the boss, floor number 2 would be revealed. I remembered only reaching the third floor during the beta test because I'd been swamped helping out my aunt in the store and taekwondo practice, but this was my time, and there was no way I wasn't getting through.

Luckily, the plains below were littered with enemies. Ugly, dirty boars stomped their hooves around, destroying the grass, and snarled each other every five seconds. They weren't very challenging to beat, but I wanted to level up fast before everyone else caught on. Grinding is always annoying, but when ten thousand others have the same idea as you, it's pretty much impossible to get any experience.

I slid down the hill, yanking my small sword out of its sheathe as I charged towards a boar. Its evil, piggy eyes glared at me malevolently as it snorted, daring me to come closer.

I was happy to oblige and once I was about ten feet away it charged with a nasty squeal. I smirked, I'd fought so many of these things in the beta that defeating this one would be a piece of cake.

My sword began glowing bright blue as I prepared my stab skill. The boar's speed increased as it lowered it's head to point its massive tusks at me. We were getting closer. Just a few more moments before we clashed.

_'Alright, just about . . . now!'_

Air burst from my lungs as I yelled, diving forward towards the monster pig. I felt my muscles vibrating with power as I stabbed into the monster's sides, piercing its hide and causing bright red data to leak from the creature. I continued my lunge, twisting to avoid being skewered, until we had passed by each other. the boar squealed again, this time in pain, before exploding into bright red data behind me.

I skidded to a stop, my sword rasping as I sheathed it. That was the thing about Sword Art Online. Every movement in battle required a skill. Whether it was slash, dodge, parry, or stab, you needed a skill to properly attack or defend. You could fight without them, but that would leave you flailing around, so I made sure my combat abilities were up to par before getting in fights.

I opened up the menu to check my skills. I'd gained 16 exp from that fight, so it wouldn't be long before I got to level 2. Getting stronger was good, but what I really wanted was a certain skill called Martial Arts that allowed you to fight unarmed. Unfortunately, it required the player reaching level 4 and doing a quest too. So far, the only skills I had were block, slash, and stab. Pretty basic, but right now it was all I needed.

I swiped my hand across to exit and charged towards another boar. This time I managed to catch this one off-guard as I stabbed it before it could react. By the time it whirled to face me, I had wounded it twice, and my sword came down in an arc, slashing between its eyes and killing the creature.

My grip tightened on my sword as I charged toward another boar._ 'Time for some fun,'_ I thought wildly as I ran into another battle.

The sky had darkened from a bright blue to a deep red. I had started the game in the afternoon, so I couldn't have been playing for more than an hour.

I sighed. "All good things must come to an end." My aunt would have been back by now, and we were having pizza tonight. I opened the menu and tried to press the log out button.

"Wait, it's not there." My finger hovered for a moment until I decided to check the options. I scrolled down, but it wasn't there either. Okay, this is starting to get worrying. I tried the settings, but no luck.

I was getting freaked out. Sure games got bugs all the time, and mmorps were no exceptions, but I was inside the freaking game. If there wasn't a log out button then there was no way I was getting back home! _'Calm down man.'_ I slowed my breathing down. '_The game developers have probably noticed the glitch and are fixing it right now.'_

"Yeah," I said it out loud to reassure myself. "I'll be out of here in no time." In the meantime, I would just wait until it was fixed. I lay down and rested, letting the breeze wash over me comfortingly. I was about to close my eyes when everything started to glow around me._  
_

I only had time to yell. "What the hell!" Before my vision went white.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I found myself in the Town of Beginnings once again. I took a look around to see that I wasn't alone. The town square was packed with other players who looked just as confused as I was.

"Why are we back here?"

"Aw man, I was just about to level up!"

"Dude what the fuck?"

It looks like everybody had been teleported here for some reason. But what was so important that every single person in the game would be summoned here? Whatever was going on, it was big. I turned and began making my way through the crowd until I found a good spot near the wall. Not too many people were here, so I could listen without interference.

I knew this had to be important, but I was uneasy.

"Whoa, what is that!" A man pointed up at the sky.

I followed his finger and my eyes widened. The sky was covered in orange panels, completely distorting the view. As I watched, a disgusting red substance began leaking through the panels like some kind of virus.

It was like something from a nightmare. The blood began to pool together in the sky above as it whirled menacingly. The liquid began to take shape, twisting and morphing into a gigantic cloaked figure.

Any defining features were concealed under the vermillion cloak he wore. Its face was completely shadowed, so I couldn't recognize any facial features either. My stomach churned as I watched it floating there eerily.

I wanted to do something . . . _anything_, but I was completely terrified. My body felt icy cold, and my heart was trying to beat a hole through my chest. The figure could only be one person. The Game Master.

I had heard about him, heard about his supposedly grand stature and frightening presence, but I'd never really believed the rumors. But now, I was more than inclined to believe what I'd heard.

Before any one could react, however, he spoke.

"Welcome players, to the world of Sword Art Online."

His voice wasn't particularly deep or imposing. But it was so loud that it reverberated through my head, leaving my ears ringing.

"My name is Kayaba Akihiko. I the one who created NerveGear technology, as well as the creator of Sword Art Online. I control the entire world. And thereofre I control everything in it," he announced. Causing whispers to spread.

"That's the Game Master?"

"I knew he was scary, but damn!"

"I am sure you have noticed," he said, causing all talk to die out. "Many of you have attempted to log out of the game, yet have found no log out button. I assure that this is not a glitch, but a feature of the game."

I raised an eyebrow. Feature of the game? Impossible. When I played as a beta-tester we could log out whenever we wanted, regardless of where we were. There was no way he was telling the truth. Right?

The whispers had become frantic as people began bring up their menu screens to find the log out button, only to find nothing. Panic was beginning to set in. There might be a riot soon. Regardless, the man continued. "Once again, this is not a malfunction, but an actual feature of Sword Art Online." Was it just me, or was he starting to sound excited? "Logging out of the game is impossible. Shutting down the NerveGear is possible, but doing so will cause it to release a microwave transmission, destroying your brain."

My throat went dry. If what he was saying was true then . . . .

"Unfortunately, 213 people have already disregarded this, and now they have retired from the game," he continued. The cloaked figure revealed a holographic screen containing news reports and images of the deceased. "Many news sites and emergency broadcasts have released this information already, so the chances of having your NerveGear removed are very minimal at this point."

I looked up at the screen to see a girl crying as her mother comforted her. "Bastard," I snarled, glaring at Kayaba.

"Understand this. There will be no more respawns at this point. Once your health reaches zero, your avatar will be destroyed and the NerveGear will release a microwave signal, destroying your brain." My insides were burning white hot with rage. We were stuck here and he was treating it like some kind of experiment. What kind of sick bastard would come up with something like this?

"You may be wondering, why? Why would Kayaba Akihiko do something like this? Is he insane? The answer is, I simply wanted to create a world of my own where I would be God. A place for me to control everything in it."

I was incensed. This was all a big game to him. We were nothing more than his playthings.

My thoughts were interrupted by his voice. "If you would check your inventory, you will find a gift from me." A gift? Whatever it was, if it came from this guy it couldn't be good. That said, my curiosity overwhelmed my revulsion as I brought up the holographic screen to search my inventory.

"What the hell would I do with a mirror?" I voiced my thoughts, and probably everyone else's, out loud. I stared into it, looking for some hidden meaning, before it began glowing.

I recoiled, only to find myself glowing as well. I managed to catch the same thing happening to everyone else before I was enveloped in a bright flash.

_'What just happened?'_

I blinked a few times to reestablish vision before returning my gaze to the mirror, before yelling with shock. It was me! My tall, cool avatar was gone, and in his place I stood. My caramel skin and shaggy-spiky black hair were back, and my mismatched left brown eye and right green eye stared back at me.

I'd been returned to my normal height too. How did he know what I looked like anyway?

"What the hell?"

"Hey, you're not a girl!"

"Neither are you!"

I gasped as I watched the scene in front of me. It looked like every single person had been reverted to their actual real world appearance, just like me. There was a significant lack of pretty boy warriors when there had been an abundance before, and the square was full of nerdy teenagers or middle aged weirdos. Also, to my disgust, there were hundreds of guys in girls clothes, meaning they had pretended to be women. Now that was something I definitely could have gone through life without seeing.

I let out another gasp. It must have been during that process where the NerveGear had me feel myself (Not that way perverts!) to get am idea of what I look like!

I cracked my knuckles. That bastard Kayaba, he traps inside a death game, and he even ruins the whole fantasy aspect of it too! I promised myself that I would find this guy somehow, and when I did, his ass was grass.

"With that players, I wish you good luck. Enjoy yourselves, and do try not to die as you clear the game." Kayaba exclaimed, his voice laced with callous amusement at our situation.

Having said his piece, the cloaked figure literally blew apart in orange shards, leaving us free to move again as the reality of our situation sank in.

Everything was quiet for a moment. Nobody dared to move. I began creeping towards an ally to my left, eager to escape before shit hit the fan. I needed to get out of here before everyone panicked and there was no way out.

"No!" A girl screamed, bumping into the man behind her. I froze, every part of my body going still, before making a break for it.

"FUCK YOU!"

"LET US OUT OF HERE!"

"THERE'S NO WAY ANY OF THAT'S TRUE!"

"I HAVE A MEETING!"

I grit my teeth and began sprinting, trying my best to ignore the screams behind me. They were just like me; normal people who had been trapped inside a virtual world. I understood the fear that was running rampant, but I couldn't let it control me! I was on a mission. From now on, I'm going solo. I wasn't sure if I could trust anybody yet, so I would play on my own until I was strong enough to have a party, but be able to defend myself against other players if I had to.

"Kayaba Akihiko," I muttered. I skidded to a stop at the top of a hill. I was scared, tired, and angry, more than I'd been in my entire life. My stomach was doing flip flops as I raised my voice.

"KAYABA AKIHIKO! I WILL DEFEAT SWORD ART ONLINE!" I screamed. "I'M GOING TO SURVIVE, AND NOTHING YOU DO WILL STOP ME!" My yells had roused the plains, boars were charging about, but I didn't care.

Roaring with fury, I charged into battle with a group of them.

_'I'm not going to lose here! Not to you or this world!'_

* * *

**Hey everybody! Sorry to come out with a story while I'm working on You Will (Not) Survive, but I had this idea in the works and I just couldn't get it out of my head.**

**I love SAO, and I've wanted to write one of these for a long time. I want to create an alternate story for SAO, not just a retelling of canon with an extra character. This will probably become AU at some point, so if you don't like it then you can find something else.**

**Tell me what you think! Reviews give me energy! They're food for the soul!**


End file.
